PreSeries Drabbles
by Raserei Hojo
Summary: A set of 50 100 word drabbles set before the series begins. It focuses on Eiri, Tohma and Kitazawa. Expect jealous battles between Tohma and Kitazawa, a bit of crack, and the fear of being replaced.
1. Begining, Middle, End, Inside, Outside

001. BEGINNING

There was something _off _about this man. Tohma didn't know what it was, but that smile was too similar to his own; a smile that couldn't be trusted. The way he brushed off Tohma's concerns, touched Eiri's shoulder… he didn't like it. _Something _was wrong.

But what could he do? Thirty-seven different applicants and this man was the only one Eiri had shown a positive interest in. The tutor made Eiri smile and the connection between the two of them was almost instant.

"All right, Kitazawa-san. You meet the qualifications and Eiri-kun seems to like you. You've got the job."

* * *

002. MIDDLE

Tohma couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about Eiri's new tutor and so he insisted on being present the first week. Of course, as he expected, Kitazawa didn't act abnormally in his presence. The man, like most other people in the same situation, was too smart for that.

When it came to the actual _tutoring_, however, it wasn't very impressive. Kitazawa was excellent at English and science and history, but when it came to mathematics he was a train wreck. In a way, it was almost amusing to see Eiri correct Kitazawa.

Most importantly, Eiri finally seemed happy.

* * *

003. END

The week came to a close and Tohma still had no proof that Kitazawa was up to no good apart from his own gut feeling. _The perfect gentleman_. Aside from his shortcomings in math, Kitazawa was an excellent tutor. It took every fiber of strength in Tohma's being to smile at the two and allow them to study in private for a bit. After all, he couldn't let Nittle Grasper go unattended forever.

Tohma bought Eiri a cell phone and periodically called from his office. What he didn't expect was for Eiri to give the number to Kitazawa as well.

* * *

004. INSIDE

Despite outward appearances, Tohma was growing more frustrated as the days slipped by. No matter what he did or how much time he spent checking in on Eiri and Kitazawa, that gut feeling of his wouldn't go away. It was like some kind of maternal instinct that was flipped into overdrive and the lever had broken when it turned on.

Kitazawa smiled at him, assured him that everything was fine, all the while keeping his hands possessively on Eiri's shoulder. Maybe _that _was what he didn't like, the way Kitazawa acted as though Eiri was his prize for finding work.

* * *

005. OUTSIDE

It was the third week of tutoring and Tohma's smile was frozen in place. Eiri seemed to notice this and warned Tohma that one of these days he would _become the mask_. Tohma laughed it off, glad it was a weekend and that today he had Eiri all to himself.

"What would you like to do today, Eiri-kun?"

"Mm?" Eiri looked up from his cell phone. "Sensei is taking me to the museum today so we can finish the lesson."

Tohma's stomach did a little flip. He'd forgotten about that somehow, perhaps because he'd been looking forward to this weekend.


	2. Friends, Foes, Lovers, Family, Strangers

006. FRIENDS

"Tohma," whined Ryuichi into the phone. "I miss you. When are you going to visit?"

Tohma smiled and glanced at Eiri doing his homework in the next room. "I'll visit soon, Ryuichi."

"Come now!" The pout was evident in his voice.

"I can't come now; Eiri-kun is here. Maybe in a few weeks once he gets settled in a bit."

Ryuichi groaned. "But that Eiri kid _lives_ with you. He's always gonna be there!"

Tohma couldn't find anything wrong with that statement. Eiri would always be there. Something about his fiancée's brother made him happy…. Maybe it was his innocence.

* * *

007. FOES

"Going to a musical, Seguchi?"

"Yes, and I'm taking Eiri-kun with me."

Kitazawa smirked and Tohma smiled back politely. It was Saturday; no lessons were scheduled today. Eiri was going to spend today with Tohma whether Kitazawa liked it or not. He helped Eiri into his coat and double-checked his pockets for the tickets.

"Gypsy, right?" asked Kitazawa.

"Yes. Eiri-kun is mature enough to see it."

"Front row?"

"Yes," repeated Tohma, growing weary of this conversation.

"Funny," said Kitazawa nonchalantly. "I'm in the front row, too."

"_What_?" said Tohma, nearly gaping.

Eiri practically hid his face. "Tohma-san… I invited him."

* * *

008. LOVERS

It had been three months since he and Eiri had moved to New York and today, Mika was finally visiting. She sat on the new sofa with a fair amount of distance between herself and Tohma. He smiled, feeling awkward. This was the woman he would marry in a couple years, but something in their relationship was lacking; that romantic spark.

"Mika-san, would you like to watch a movie?"

"A movie would be more entertaining than staring at a blank screen."

Tohma tried to laugh as he grabbed the remote and started channel surfing, hoping to find a romantic movie.

* * *

009. FAMILY

A few days into Mika's visit, she, along with Tohma and Eiri, went out to dinner. Tohma would have preferred a quiet meal at home, but Mika wanted to taste the cuisine of New York. It wasn't as though the food of Manhattan was any better than food he could cook.

"Eiri-kun," said Tohma in a soft voice he reserved for speaking to the blond. "In a few years, do you know what will happen?"

"What?" asked Eiri, curious.

"Mika-san and I will be married and I'll be your brother-in-law."

"Should I call you onii-sama, then?"

"I'd like that, Eiri-kun."

* * *

010. STRANGERS

The more time Eiri spent with Kitazawa, the more distant the teenager became. It wasn't as though Eiri acted as if he _disliked _Tohma, but it was clear that he definitely preferred Kitazawa over him. Eiri smiled _more _around Kitazawa. He was happier, more energetic… things Tohma seemed to be unable to make Eiri feel on his own.

Tohma knew his primary responsibility was taking care of and disciplining Eiri, but that didn't mean he wanted the boy to be unhappy. Still, some toys were dangerous and some movies were too graphic. Sometimes, he needed to be the bad guy.


	3. Home, Work, Life, Death, Soul

011. HOME

Tohma pinned the poem Eiri had written that morning on the refrigerator. It would serve as a constant reminder that Eiri had written something for _him_, and not Kitazawa. It was a fairly impressive poem, especially written by someone so young—something one might find in a book of great poetry.

From his spot at the kitchen table, Tohma smiled at the paper attached to the refrigerator with a butterfly magnet. Eiri had written it for _him_. He would see the poem every time he ate a meal at home and each time he knew it would make him happy.

* * *

012. WORK

Who knew managing a band would be so much work? Tohma had fired their manager because he wasn't as dedicated as he should have been, but now Tohma was stuck with a mountain of paperwork. He had concerts to arrange, plane tickets to purchase, songs to write and a keyboard to practice. That alone was hard enough, but when Ryuichi and Noriko were still in Japan, just getting together to play for a few hours was a nightmare.

Worst of all, it cut into his time with Eiri, leaving Kitazawa with a great opportunity to spend time with him instead.

* * *

013. LIFE

"See, Eiri-kun?"

Tohma was crouched in the freshly dug garden with Eiri kneeling beside him in a pair of old jeans. Today, they were planting a garden they could take care of together. Tohma passed Eiri a tomato seedling, wearing a genuine smile on his face.

Eiri held it in his hands gingerly. "Do I plant it now?"

"Yes," said Tohma, gesturing to the first small hole in the garden. "Right here. Then we'll water it."

Obediently, Eiri placed the small tomato plant in the hole and made a small mound around it with dirt. He'd have to shower later.

* * *

014. DEATH

It was 11 o'clock in the evening and Kitazawa was _hopefully_ wrapping up the lesson about deep sea creatures. Sure, knowing about them was neat and interesting, but it wasn't really _necessary_. Tired of spending so much time in the office, Tohma took his paperwork into the living room and joined the two.

Moments after sitting on the couch, the telephone rang. Tohma picked it up with a quiet sigh, hoping it wasn't someone wanting to pile more work onto him.

"Hello?"

"Tohma." It sounded like his aunt's voice. "I have some terrible news."

"What is it?"

"It's your father…."

* * *

015. SOUL

Tohma's smile was more plastic than ever before. It never left his face, even briefly. Eiri knew that when Tohma's face was always smiling that _something_ was wrong. He'd been that way ever since he returned from Japan two days ago.

It seemed like Tohma did everything with a smile. He cooked, cleaned, even went about his work and rehearsals while wearing a cheerful smile. His father had been in critical condition when his aunt had called. Slipped into unconsciousness ten minutes after the plane landed. But by the time Tohma actually reached the hospital, his father had passed away.


	4. Broken, Fixed, TMuch , Not Enough, Empty

016. BROKEN

"Tohma-san?"

It was nice to have so much of Eiri's attention, but it was hard to appreciate when he was busy grieving with a smile. Tohma set his paperwork aside.

"What is it, Eiri-kun?"

"…You seem sad."

There it was. The crack in the smile. It barely lasted a millisecond but it was there and both he and Eiri knew it had happened. There was no avoiding it.

"I'm not sad," Tohma lied. "Just busy with work."

"We should go out sometime," suggested Eiri. "Maybe go to the zoo."

For the first time in a week, Tohma laughed. "All right."

* * *

017. FIXED

It was sad that it took the death of his father to attract Eiri's attention, but Tohma was glad to finally be back in Eiri's top priorities. Being in the fresh air—as fresh as an area full of smelly animals could be—was exciting and Tohma felt revitalized.

"That'll be $7.90," said the cashier.

Expensive, for just two strawberry parfaits. But, Eiri had wanted one and Tohma just couldn't say no. He paid the price, took them both from the counter and passed one to Eiri. The huge smile that sprouted on Eiri's face was definitely worth the $7.90.

* * *

018. TOO MUCH

Tohma sighed and leaned heavily against the bathroom door. He really needed to learn how to say no. He'd bought Eiri _three _bowls of ice cream after the parfait with all sorts of rich toppings and now Eiri was paying the price. Tohma visibly winced when the sound of Eiri retching passed through the wooden door.

"Eiri-kun? Do you want me to come in there?" It was hard to stand on the other side of a door while Eiri threw up again and again.

"No," came the weak reply. "I don't want you to see me like this."

"But Eiri-kun…."

* * *

019. NOT ENOUGH

The time Tohma spent first in Eiri's thoughts was unfortunately short-lived. Now that all of Tohma's smiles weren't forced, Eiri felt more at ease and was able to enjoy his time spent with Kitazawa with a guilt-free conscience.

There wasn't anything Tohma could really do about the situation, either. Kitazawa was a decent teacher, even stellar when it came to some topics and Eiri was overjoyed to be his pupil. That didn't mean Tohma wasn't feeling a bit of bitter jealousy.

Tohma still had that gut feeling about him, too. The feeling that told him something about Kitazawa was _off_.

* * *

020. EMPTINESS

Tohma sat at the kitchen table, facing the fridge where the poem was still attached. He smiled a little and poured himself a small glass of bourbon to reward himself for finishing his latest workload. Eiri was asleep on the couch in the living room with a book pitched over his face like a tent. The sight was amusing—enough for Tohma to go back into the living room.

"Eiri-kun, you should go to bed."

Eiri mumbled something that sounded like _Sensei_ and shifted so the book slid off his face and landed on the floor. Tohma frowned at him.


	5. Jealousy, Hope, Loyalty, Penance, Secure

021. JEALOUSY

Eight months, one week, seventeen hours, twelve minutes, fourteen seconds—fifteen seconds—sixteen seconds. By now, Eiri had settled in completely. He knew Manhattan nearly as well as Tohma did and was capable of doing so many things on his own.

Eiri always seemed to refuse Tohma's help, no matter what it was. That was fine, Tohma thought. He disliked it, but it showed how Eiri was becoming more independent. However, when Tohma noticed that Eiri constantly accepted help from Kitazawa—from tying his shoes to going for walks—things suddenly weren't so fine anymore.

Things weren't fine at all.

* * *

022. HOPE

Eiri had been determined to run in his new dress shoes so he would be on time to meet Kitazawa, despite Tohma's warnings that it was dangerous. So, when Eiri tripped on an uneven part of the sidewalk, he fell down and skinned his knees, tearing two small holes in his pants.

The stinging pain in his knees was enough to distract him from his lesson and he was left feeling a little sad. When he arrived back home, Tohma took one look at him before retrieving disinfectant and his sewing kit with a sigh.

"You should've been careful, Eiri-kun."

* * *

023. LOYALTY

"If you're that unhappy, why not come home?"

It was a valid question, one his fiancée had asked him many times. Tohma wouldn't have minded returning to Tokyo; he could do his work anywhere and Ryuichi and Noriko were both there. The only thing that kept him here was Eiri. Tohma knew if he forced Eiri to return to Japan, it would devastate him—and he couldn't let Eiri be taunted by those children because of his hair and eye color any longer.

"Because I made a promise to you, your father and Eiri-kun and I intend to keep it."

* * *

024. PENANCE

He could see them from his office, pouring over textbooks, smiling and telling jokes. Tohma was past jealous—now he was just plain _angry_. What was so special about that man? He was of average appearance with brown hair and dark eyes with an average build. Kitazawa was a tutor whose mathematical abilities left much to be desired. The only thing he had going for him was that supposedly kind smiling face.

So why? What had Tohma done wrong that pushed Eiri away from him? Whatever it was, he was genuinely sorry. Tohma would've done anything to get Eiri back.

* * *

025. SECURITY

Tohma felt a little guilty, resorting to tricks to keep Eiri home with him tonight, but Kitazawa was the one who began the war and Tohma refused to lose. Besides, it wasn't anything he would ever really regret. Hot chocolate—homemade—with a heavy meal beforehand and a 1930s movie afterward, there was no way Eiri would have the energy to go anywhere with Kitazawa tonight.

So when the phone rang at 8 o'clock in the evening like he anticipated, Tohma answered it with a smile. "I'm sorry, Kitazawa-san, but Eiri-kun is already asleep. I refuse to wake him."

_Click_.


	6. Scent, Sound, Touch, Taste, Sight

026. SCENT

If innocence had a scent, Tohma would describe it as smelling exactly like Eiri. Soft and pure, like a garden of wet roses. Perhaps like the scent of a loved one that lingers on their clothing for a while even after they've passed away.

His paperwork in his office could wait. Right now, he was with Eiri and that was all that mattered. Even if it was 4 o'clock in the morning and Tohma hadn't moved Eiri to his bedroom yet, they were together on the couch with the television running in the background and Tohma couldn't have been happier.

* * *

027. SOUND

"Is it fun?"

Tohma looked up from his synthesizer and cocked his head. "Playing the keyboard?"

Eiri nodded. "You always seem to smile when you're playing it. Does it make you happy?"

"I suppose it does." Tohma shrugged his shoulders and played the opening notes to Nittle Grasper's newest song and already he could feel the smile tugging at his lips. His fingers danced gracefully along the black and white keys of his synthesizer when an idea struck him. "Someday, Eiri-kun, I'll write a song just for you."

"Really?"

Tohma's heart soared when he heard the excitement in Eiri's voice.

* * *

028. TOUCH

A year had passed since Tohma had hired the swine known as Kitazawa Yuki to tutor Eiri. To celebrate—or as Tohma liked to think, mourn—the three of them went to the mall on 6th Avenue and 33rd Street. The goal was to buy something the two adults thought Eiri would like. It was an easy enough task that seemed almost impossible when Tohma and Kitazawa thought of each other as mortal enemies.

Tohma placed a hand on the taller man's shoulder and he was sure Kitazawa could feel his disgust from that one simple gesture. "Nothing too dangerous."

* * *

029. TASTE

"Kiss me, my love."

Tohma wanted to roll his eyes as the poorly written dialogue of the romance movie playing on the television. It was hard to focus on his paperwork, especially with the over-exaggerated moans and the sounds of heavy kissing, but Eiri was the one who had picked the channel.

"Tohma-san?"

Tohma glanced at Eiri curiously. "Yes?"

"You've kissed my sister, haven't you?"

At that question, Tohma was positive his brows had raised high enough to be lost behind his bangs.

"Why?" Tohma reached for the remote and changed the channel.

"I was wondering what it tasted like."

* * *

030. SIGHT

At this point, Tohma had given up on trying to coax Eiri to go to bed at a reasonable hour. Instead of sleeping in the large second bedroom Tohma had prepared for him, Eiri insisted on falling asleep on the couch near the phone in case Kitazawa happened to call.

Still, it wasn't all bad. It was of his opinion that Eiri was incredibly cute when he was asleep, like an angel who just happened to fall asleep on his couch. Tohma draped the heavy quilt over his future brother-in-law and smiled down at him.

Why was Eiri so cute?


	7. Rain, Snow, Lightning, Thunder, Snow

031. RAIN

This time, it was Tohma who was asleep on the couch. He'd been pulling all-nighters for nearly the entire week, working on paperwork and rehearsing for Nittle Grasper's upcoming concert. He knew it was a bad idea to get so comfortable with his quilt that now smelled like Eiri and with the rain drizzling in the background, but it was far too tempting to resist.

Eiri quietly knelt in front of the couch near Tohma's head. Curiously, he lightly tapped Tohma's cheek with an index finger, amused when Tohma barely stirred.

"I think you're the one who needs sleep, Tohma-san."

* * *

032. SNOW

With a grunt of incredible effort, Tohma shoveled the last bit of snow off the sidewalk in front of his house and onto the huge mound on the lawn.

"This is ridiculous," he panted, using the shovel for support. "Three feet of snow in as few days." His fingers were numb, even with the fur-lined gloves he was wearing and his teeth had been chattering for an hour.

Eiri poked his head out of the front door and called out to him. "Did the garden survive?"

Tohma glanced at the garden buried beneath three feet of snow. "I'm afraid not."

* * *

033. LIGHTNING

"Lightning always comes first," said Tohma in a hushed voice. As if on cue, the lightning lit up the night sky, illuminating the borough of Manhattan. The power was out all throughout New York and things would probably stay that way for another day or two.

"I hate lightning," said Eiri as he shifted uncomfortably in his place on the floor.

"Why is that?"

"It always comes suddenly so it's impossible to anticipate."

The storm _had _come rather suddenly, but Tohma didn't mind. It cut off all communication between them and Kitazawa. No lessons for at least a few days.

* * *

034. THUNDER

Tohma lit a dozen candles with a match and placed them in areas of the living room where they were unlikely to spark the furniture and cause a fire. Eiri merely watched since Tohma forbade him from playing with fire and traced an invisible pattern on hardwood floor with his index finger. His lower lip was stuck out slightly in a pout and he was frustrated at being treated like a child.

"Eiri-kun."

Eiri looked up but didn't register what Tohma had said; a loud clash of thunder rumbled outside that startled Eiri so badly he cried out in fear.

* * *

035. STORM

"Thunder always comes after lighting has struck," said Tohma calmly as he blew out the match and approached the young blond. He smiled and ruffled Eiri's hair, making it stick out and odd angles. "Besides, the thunder can't hurt you."

Eiri shyly lowered his gaze. By the blush staining Eiri's cheeks, Tohma imagined the boy was embarrassed about making his fear so obvious.

"It'll be okay, Eiri-kun. I promise." Tohma held out his hand for Eiri to take. "The stove is gas, so we can still make hot chocolate. All we need is a single match to get us started."


	8. Laugh, Cry, Scream, Whisper, Dream

036. LAUGH

Tohma stood in the kitchen, tracing the outline of the butterfly magnet with two fingers. For the past year and a half, the poem Eiri had written him had been pinned to the refrigerator by that magnet. It was the first piece of writing that Eiri had given him and because of that, Tohma intended to never throw or give it away.

Eiri's laughter floated into the kitchen, disrupting his thoughts. Tohma smiled and, wondering what was so funny, he walked to the doorway between the kitchen and living room. The smile faded when he saw Kitazawa sitting with Eiri.

* * *

037. CRY

Something was strange about today. Tohma had expected it to be quiet, but he was absolutely stunned when Eiri refused to take Kitazawa's call. Eiri simply sat on the couch with his knees pulled to his chest and wouldn't say a word.

Tohma remembered Eiri being like this last year, too. It pained his heart to see him like this. Tohma sat beside Eiri and draped an arm around his shoulder.

"Are you thinking about your mother?"

Eiri nodded, and Tohma saw how his lip trembled and would-be tears in those golden eyes. Tohma felt his heart die.

"Oh, Eiri-kun..."

* * *

038. SCREAM

Eiri was livid and Tohma knew it. No matter how much it hurt to see Eiri so upset, there was no way he was letting his fifteen-year-old charge go to _California _with Kitazawa for a month. It was bad enough leaving the boy in Kitazawa's care for just a few days when Tohma was preparing for concerts.

"Why can't I go?" It was unnerving to hear Eiri's voice be so _loud_. "It isn't fair!"

"You can't go because it's unsafe."

"Sensei will be with me!"

That was precisely why it was unsafe. "My answer is still no."

"I _hate _you!"

* * *

039. WHISPER

Eiri hadn't spoken to Tohma for over a week and it was tearing Tohma apart. Why was it so difficult to be responsible? He wanted Eiri to be happy, but not at the risk of his own safety. Tohma would have offered to go with them, but at the moment he was too busy.

On the tenth day at 4 o'clock in the morning, Eiri knocked on Tohma's bedroom door.

"Come in."

Eiri pushed open the door and stood in the doorway. "I'm sorry for what I said and how I acted," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

* * *

040. DREAM

Being worked into the ground always resulted in strange side-effects and Tohma was not above them. Sometimes, his dreams felt like something ripped right out of Louis Carroll's _Alice in Wonderland_. They always had a sense of impending doom to them and more than once Tohma was sure he wouldn't be able to wake up.

What frightened him more than his own death in his dreams was the many imaginative ways Eiri always seemed to die in his dreams. Every night after such a dream, he checked in on Eiri to make sure that he was still alive and breathing.


	9. Who?, What?, When?, Where?, Why?

041. WHO?

A little over three years—that's how long it had been since Kitazawa Yuki had entered the lives of Seguchi Tohma and Uesugi Eiri. Over the course of those three years, Kitazawa had taken Eiri under his wing and taught him as he saw fit, essentially tossing Tohma's strict curriculum into the ocean.

Kitazawa taught Eiri that writing books would be the key to his success, but that it would be hard to make an honest living out of it. When Kitazawa found out Eiri was unhappy with his allowance from Tohma, Kitazawa showed him which stores had poor security.

* * *

042. WHAT?

A few smiles here, a few courteous words there. Kitazawa could schmooze the daylights out of anyone—anyone whose name wasn't Seguchi Tohma. It didn't matter whether or not Tohma found him untrustworthy, though; what mattered was whether or not _Eiri _trusted him—and he did. Despite Tohma's constant warnings, Eiri trusted Kitazawa with all his heart.

On an afternoon Kitazawa knew Tohma would be at rehearsal for his band, he slipped a note under the front door. It specified a time and where to meet him. Most importantly, it contained instructions not to tell Tohma anything about the note.

* * *

043. WHERE?

In a tiny apartment on 6th Avenue, Kitazawa waited. He was so _tired _of Tohma winning, tired of the way Eiri would always run back to his arms whenever he felt hurt or shunned. It had been a good job offer—one that paid for his apartment, the utilities and the food—but the best thing about the job would be getting to spend time with a Japanese angel who looked almost American.

With his bottle of Black Ridge Merlot in hand, he called Tohma's cell to make sure the man was too busy to answer. Tohma didn't pick up.

* * *

044. WHEN?

It was a late afternoon at the end of July and the heat was unbearable. Tohma, however, seemed immune as he opened his cell phone and called Eiri for the fifteenth time. His cell phone, the house phone—no matter where he called, Eiri wouldn't answer.

"I'll be right back," he called to his band mates and bolted down 42nd street. That awful, anxious feeling he had in his gut—the one he felt the first time he laid eyes on Kitazawa—was stronger than ever and this time, he wasn't going to ignore it.

He _knew _something was wrong.

* * *

045. WHY?

Tohma didn't know why things had fallen apart—but he certainly knew when. The moment he signed Kitazawa's contract was the moment everything was destined to spiral out of control. It was dark inside the apartment as he staggered, exhausted, inside. He had the beginnings of a disappointed speech on the tip of his tongue, but the speech died the moment he saw Eiri sitting in the middle of the room, surrounded by three bloody bodies.

"Eiri-kun…."

This moment—the one that would play on an endless loop in Tohma's mind—hurt his heart so much as desperately comforted Eiri.


	10. BDay, Christmas, Thanks, Free, New Year

046. BIRTHDAY

For the past three years, Eiri had spent the 20th of November with Kitazawa. This year was different; there no longer was a Kitazawa to spend it with. Eiri no longer had an excuse to spend mornings, afternoons, and early evenings away from Tohma. Even so, watching Eiri silently mourn the death of the person he supposedly loved so dearly broke his heart.

Tohma never thought that turning twenty-seven would be such a sad event. Eiri spent it with him, but there was no cake or celebrations. There were no smiles and the warmth in the house was completely absent.

* * *

047. CHRISTMAS

It had been five months since Eiri shot Kitazawa and the two thugs Kitazawa had hired. Five months of misery and depression, five months without smiles—and now, on what was one of the most romantic days of the year, Tohma sat across from Eiri in the kitchen in complete silence, drinking hot chocolate and eating strawberry shortcake.

"The New Year will be coming soon. Do you want to make plans?"

"No," was Eiri's immediate response. The younger blond took his shortcake and trotted off to his bedroom with an angry expression on his face.

Tohma glanced at the refrigerator.

* * *

048. THANKSGIVING

They were leaving and, much to Tohma's surprise, they were both thankful. New York served as a wretched memory he and Eiri wanted to purge from their minds. Despite the incident that occurred last summer, Tohma was grateful for the time he was able to spend with Eiri. He had grown close to the teenager—developed a sort of brotherly bond. The final thing packed was the poem Eiri had written him once upon a time.

Tohma rested his hand on Eiri's shoulder as they boarded the plane. "Everything will be all right, Eiri-kun. I'll make sure of it."

"Whatever."

* * *

049. INDEPENDENCE DAY

The day they had arrived in Tokyo on that frigid January day would be the last Tohma would see of Eiri for quite some time. He knew he had made a mistake by hiring Kitazawa despite all of his instincts _screaming no_, but he could not change the past and he acknowledged that.

Tohma greeted Mika, Tatsuha and Uesugi senior with a deep, regretful bow and lightly pushed Eiri toward them. He watched them—a family he had broken up and destroyed with his own two hands—take Eiri and hug him.

He wanted to be a part of that.

* * *

050. NEW YEAR

Nearly eight years had passed since that sad time in New York when Eiri killed the person he loved most. Yet, here they were again, waiting for the ball to drop to bring in the new millennium.

They stood in silence, Tohma glancing up at Eiri—he'd grown so tall!—with a small smile on his face. Both of them were quiet all through the celebration; it wasn't until they were inside their hotel room that Tohma spoke.

"Happy New Year, Eiri-san." Tohma's hand clutched the poem Eiri had written him long ago.

Eiri shrugged. Then: "Happy New Year, Seguchi."


End file.
